ILPIN Notes:
Swink et al. comment that some of the modern stands may have been planted to attract wildfowl. Species is used as grain for breakfast and a substitute for ordinary rice, especially with fowl. It is used by Native Americans for flour, bread, soup thickening, and to cook with wild meats. It makes alot of pollen, but appears unimportant in producing hayfever. Species is found throughout the state, except absent in most southern counties. Species grows in water; swamps; borders of ponds and streams. Species has large panicles (to 60 cm long); staminate spikelets below on panicle, spreading and pendulous; pistillate spikelets apically and panicle, erect, ascending. Awns on pistilalte lemmas are very long (1-6 cm.). Awns on staminate lemmas are absent or to 3 mm. Versus var. aquatica, this variety has complete smooth pistillate lemmas.

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